Qatar Airways has continued its aggressive expansion plans with the launch today of two new regional routes, thereby growing its strong connections within the Middle East.

Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways

The new routes, to Sharjah and Dubai World Central Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), will both operate daily from the airline’s hub in Doha and add to the existing Qatar Airways network of flights to Dubai (DXB) and Abu Dhabi, doubling the total number of destinations within the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from two to four.

The new UAE routes will both be operated by Airbus A320 aircraft and customers from around the world will benefit from the increased accessibility to the region as well as convenient connection times across the airline’s expanding global network. There will be three flights daily to Sharjah, with two flights per day to DWC.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, Akbar Al Baker, commented; “Over the years, we have focused upon the expansion of our route network, and today’s launches to Sharjah and DWC demonstrate our commitment to the United Arab Emirates.”

“As one of our closest neighbours in the Gulf, it is of key importance to offer excellent and frequent air travel connections to the UAE, and the location of both airports relative to our network will afford travelers an even wider variety of options when they are looking to reach their final destinations”, he added.

H.E. Sheikh Khalid Bin Essam Al Qassimi, Chairman of Department of Civil Aviation-Sharjah, said:” We would like to thank Qatar Airways for their choice to use Sharjah International Airport as a new destination within its international network. This will add value to the travelers using the airport to reach their destinations in Europe, Asia and America. In addition, it will enhance the trade and transportation services between Sharjah and Doha.”

Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, H.E. Ali Salim Al Midfa, said: “The launch of daily flights to Sharjah International Airport reflects the confidence of the international airlines in services and facilities provided by the airport. Today we are delighted to receive the inaugural flight of Qatar Airways, the international carrier with an excellent reputation, which will connect both Sharjah and Doha”.

Today Sharjah is the third largest of the seven emirates which form the UAE and offers an impressive array of over 20 museums, several art galleries and beautifully restored heritage areas in this bustling port city. It is in this regard that the city was named the Capital of Islamic Culture in 2014 in recognition of its achievements.

Dubai World Central (DWC), located in the Jebel Ali area of Dubai southwest of the city, is a strategic initiative of the Government of Dubai for the establishment of the world’s first aerotropolis. Leveraging the emirate’s position as a leading global trade, business and aviation hub, the focus of DWC is on economic development for the region.

Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 17 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 129 aircraft to 136 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas.